It’s gonna be a block party that marks Interzone’s 25th anniversary – it’s slated for 3 to 9 pm, Friday, Aug. 11.
Founder and operator William McCanless said, “It was always important to me to have Interzone’s music venue be for all ages. I wanted to provide a space for young fans to create and experience live music. That’s come full circle for me now. Bitter Half Booking and the community of Corvallis DIY, many who started at Interzone as teen musicians have come together to host Interzone’s 25th anniversary block party. All the bands are local with the addition of David Dondero, an honorary local since he’s been playing at Interzone since the beginning.”
What was McCanless Thinking: When Interzone opened its doors all those years ago, it was ahead of its time in a number ways, and its aspirations feel ever more relevant in today’s environment.
“We wanted to open a place that represented our values – a sustainable vegetarian/vegan cafe with an all ages venue, a local art gallery, and a thriving diverse community. Interzone sources our organic coffee from Pacifica Coffee, local for over 30 years, mostly fair trade, and the best coffee in Oregon,” said McCanless. “We get our organic teas from Oregon Coffee and Tea, a beloved local mainstay. We get our produce from Organically Grown, an organic vegetable distributor out of Eugene.”
McCanless also said that from the start, he envisioned platforming new local artists and musicians.
“As important as supporting local vendors, I also wanted to support local artists. The red room gallery features a new artist on the first of every month and the vast majority are from Corvallis. Some are having shows for the first time and some are already superstars. This month’s featured gallery artist is Diana Ryan, who started as a barista extraordinaire and is now an incredibly talented artist. We’ve been happily selling her ceramic skully mugs for over 15 years.”
Corvallis’ Favorite Nuclear Power Developer: Federal regulators have accepted an uprated reactor design from NuScale Power for formal review. What that means for the small module reactor company is that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is satisfied enough with the design that they’re willing spend 24 months on a deep dive – which could lead to approval of a uprated standardized design.
Nuscale had previously received approval for a 50 MWe design, and they are now seeking approval of a 77 MWe design. The NRC provided 24-month review schedule for approval aligns well with the timing needs of NuScale’s U.S. customers. The company has projects in various stages in the U.S., and the approval may be a boon for a project being developed in Idaho, specifically.
“We are pleased that the NRC has accepted our SDA application, which not only accomplishes one of our key milestones for 2023, but also brings us a step closer to providing clean, carbon-free energy to even more customers around the world,” said John Hopkins, NuScale President and Chief Executive Officer. “Our team has worked closely with the NRC for many years – we’re familiar with their process and are eager to work alongside them to achieve the successful approval of our uprated design. The NRC’s rigorous standards are recognized and respected across the globe, and approval validates the acceptability of the safety of NuScale’s carbon-free design.”
“This Standard Design Approval will allow our customers to benefit from an increased power output from the small modular reactor design that the NRC previously reviewed and approved,” said Carrie Fosaaen, NuScale’s Vice President of Regulatory Affairs. “We will continue to work with the NRC on an expeditious, but thorough review of the SDA application.”
Do You Financially Empower Folks: The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation (DFR) has announced its second annual Statewide Outreach Sponsorship Program for organizations that engage in financial empowerment work. The program will award sponsorships of $25,000 each to up to five organizations for one-year contracts.
Organizations can attend a free information session through Zoom on Thursday, Aug. 24, at 11 a.m. to learn more about the program. Registration is encouraged, but not required. For those not able to attend, the session’s slide deck will be made available on DFR’s website after the session. Go to https://dfr.oregon.gov/help/outreach-education/ to register and learn more.
The goal of the sponsorship program is to collaborate with trusted community partners in delivering financial education to consumers in underserved communities. The program will help empower consumers to make decisions about insurance and other financial services that are best for them and raise awareness of free services and resources offered by the division.
The cost of insurance is often one of the biggest expenses for people, yet national studies show that they do not understand insurance and are not confident to shop around for the best coverage at the best price. People are more confident and understand insurance better when they can turn to an expert for information.
“The first year of the program has been successful,” DFR Administrator TK Keen said. “Entering the program’s second year, we are striving to reach more people so they can build their skills and confidence to manage money and choose insurance and financial products and services that meet their needs.”
Preference will be given to nonprofits, public schools, public charter schools, and tribal entities currently conducting financial empowerment work in Oregon. Solicitation materials are available on the DFR website. Proposals are due Sept. 22.
Organizations will be evaluated on their ability to help underserved communities, including African Americans; Latino, Latina, and Latinx people; Native Americans; Asians and Pacific Islanders; other people of color; women; LGBTQ+ people; survivors of domestic violence; immigrants and refugees; youth who are underserved; previously incarcerated people; people with disabilities; and seniors.
This program is expected to be in place for at least two more years. Organizations can apply each year. Future funding will be based on the availability of funds and program effectiveness. For more information, go to https://dfr.oregon.gov/help/outreach-education.
And now, a few summer business events…
Going Into Business: In just one session, you’ll get all the basic information you will need to begin planning your successful business. Rules, regulations, financing, customers, markets, and feasibility will all be discussed in this free seminar. This seminar is offered through Zoom video conferencing.
This class is offered by the Small Business Development Center at Linn-Benton Community College.
Free. 6:30 to 7:20 pm, Tuesday, August 8. Click here to register.
Corvallis Young Pros: For any local professional that is either young or young at heart, these monthly get-togethers are a chance to swap stories and meetup with likeminded people. Free. 5 to 7 pm, Tuesday, Aug. 29 at SarangHEY, 221 NW 2nd Street.
Ag Industry Suicide prevention: Who should be trained to help prevent farmer and rancher suicide? Well, not just the friends and family that love them, often the people work with them professionally are in substantive position to recognize the signs and help. If you’re a supplier, banker, equipment supplier or repairperson, veterinarian, or anyone else that regularly works with farmer and ranchers, you can easily learn the QPR method, question, persuade and refer.
Offered free by OSU Extension. 8:30 to 10 am, Wednesday, Aug. 30. Click here register for this online offering, and to learn more.
– Feature picture from artist Josh Gates, who gave the portrait to McCanless, marking the 25th anniversary of the lease being signed for Interzone
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